TCOP2 The Takedown
by Candor
Summary: 2nd in The Castle Onion, Peeled series. I would recommend that you read the original story first. This is the requested Takedown story. It will be a few chapters long and updates will not be as quick. Enjoy! NOW COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: I own the plot and characters you do not recognize. Castle is owned by ABC et al. Intelligence and Criminal Minds are owned by CBS et al. Thanks again, LEM for being my Beta. This is a continuation from the Castle Onion, Peeled and won't make much sense without reading that first. This is the story based around the 2 weeks following TCOP and includes the actual takedown op and the immediate aftermath. More of this style of short stories is planned, varying in length. This begins directly after Chapter 13 of TCOP. Enjoy!_

**Excerpt from The Castle Onion, Peeled:**

_Rick looked around the room at the team gathered there. NYPD, CIA, FBA, CyberCom...all professionals, all ready for whatever dangers may take them down as they do their jobs. _

_He had never felt prouder in his life._

_"I have so many things to say...so many. It's been said that the sun must set before it can rise; we stand here surrounded by night, waiting. But we stand...together, watching as the sky lightens. Together we will bring back the Light." He looked over at Kate. "A wise man once said that there are no wins or losses; you just have to make a stand. So many people have lost their lives to our target. We take this stand not only for Johanna and so many others…we take this stand for those of us here that knew them, that loved them; that respected them. Individually we could not stand against this but together we will let them know that evil has no sway."_

_He took a moment and looked around and locked eyes with Jordan. "Many years ago I stood where you are on another task force. We all knew what we should do, and we had others around us that we respected or that we had become friends with. We went out knowing that we had the law on our side. We left 25 strong and came back two less, one which we buried four days later. We knew though that the bad guys had taken a heavy blow. We knew that justice had been done, but we also knew that a father would never again hug his children nor kiss his wife."_

_His eyes once again shifted to Kate. "I know that we face danger this morning. I know that there are chances that any one of us may not see the setting of the sun tonight. But I know...I know that I am proud to be a member of this task force and I know that what we do today will not only potentially save hundreds of lives, but will provide closure for those that have been wronged by our target. So let's end the reign of terror that the target has wrought; let him know that the end of his tyranny is today. Good hunting!"_

_With a nod to everyone and a smile at Kate he walked to the door. "And now we get to be the bogeyman's bogeyman."_

TCOP2

Chapter 1 – Getting into Position

Penelope Garcia had been an analyst with the BAU for several years, but had never been assigned to a task force. Thus she was used to working alone in her PC lab; but as she looked around today she counted six others that she was in charge of. Derek would never believe this if she was even allowed to talk about it! She settled in and started to review the schedule as she fired up her network so that she was ready when she was needed.

**New York City, Team Echo (Esposito and Ryan)**

Esposito looked at his partner. "Yo, Kev. Was it just me or did Castle look scary?"

Kevin Ryan snorted. "It wasn't just you, man. And Beckett? I've never seen her like that."

"I know. She was focused but she looked...happy, almost."

"I bet it's because her mom's case is almost over."

"That or it's Castle acting all responsible."

"Yeah. So who all are we looking for?"

They went back over the paperwork and readied their team to move when the signal was given.

TCOP2

**Washington, DC, Team Bravo (Shaw, Lillian Strand and others)**

Jordan looked at her watch, noting that she had about twenty minutes left. She went over the paperwork and verified everything was in order.

Lillian looked over. "Nervous?"

Jordan snorted. "I'm more worried for Rick and Kate. It's been awhile since he was in the field and she is too close to the case."

"I wouldn't worry. We are the ones that have to meet PotUS and arrest the Vice President for treason and accessory to murder."

"Yeah but Bracken is going to be on camera. He has a Press Conference scheduled this morning and they should get there just after it starts."

Lillian laughed. "Oh I can just see the news tonight."

Jordan chuckled. "You have a point. We move in about fifteen, so get ready."

TCOP2

**Washington, DC, Team Charlie (JJ, Garcia and FBI Techs)**

JJ looked up from her desk after hanging up the phone. "Well, that's the last of them."

Jackson Hunt smiled. "Thanks. I know this wasn't in Rick's plan but having an announcement right as the cards start to fall will be distracting enough to the target and his operation that it should make each piece fall into place. Garcia, do you have the schedule?"

"Yes, sir. At 945 Team Echo will arrive at City Hall in New York. They have two objectives: A dirty judge by the name of Markaway and the head of the NYPD's IA group named Lt. Bannock...he took over after Capt. Gates got promoted and became the head of the 16th precinct.

"At 950 Team Bravo will move into the White House to apprehend the Vice President. Once that is accomplished they will head to the Department of Homeland Security to arrest the Director by 1030.

"At 1000 all other teams except Team Alpha will move on the secondary targets; this will happen in Washington and at several points across the country as we round up the baddies.

"At 1015 Team Alpha will move in to secure Senator Bracken and his director of security."

"Thanks, Penelope. Now Agent Jareau...you need to start your press conference just after 1010 so that the news crews at Bracken's office won't have time to react. We have to damage his credibility beyond repair. Understand?"

"Yes, sir, though I'm not sure exactly what to say."

Jackson Hunt smiled like the predator he was. "Leave the details to me. I will have a statement for you to read ready in time."

TCOP2

**Washington, DC Team Alpha (Rick, Kate and others)**

Rick looked over at Kate who was checking her vest for the third time. "You okay, Kate?"

"Yeah I just want to get this guy."

"I know. He can't get away this time. We have him, babe. He's going away for a good long time. Just remember that the cameras are there are so speak loudly enough that they get every word. We'll be totally professional."

Kate watched as Rick pulled his FBI windbreaker on and rolled her eyes. She would never have imagined that her fiancé was anything more than what the writer and playboy that he had appeared to be. She wondered what other layers there were to the Castle onion.

Rick watched Kate as she prepped. He knew how important today was for her. It was the only reason he had agreed to Jacobs' request. He had slipped back into his agent persona easily even though it had been a long time since he left. He decided to leave a little bit of this when he went back to helping out at the twelfth; the cat was out of the bag, anyway. He grinned when he thought of seeing everyone else's reaction at the twelfth when all this came out.

**9:45 AM**

"Ready, Bro?" At Ryan's nod they walked into 1PP and headed straight toward the IA Chief's office.

Bannock looked up at the knock on his door. "Enter."

In walked a group of people including two detectives, two uniformed offers and the Chief. "How can I help you officers?"

"Leroy Bannock...you are under arrest on charges of accessory to murder, treason, obstruction of justice, bribery and extortion." Ryan moved to place him in handcuffs while Esposito read him his rights. The uniformed officers took possession and transported him to the holding area.

Ryan sent a text to Beckett to let her know they were done and headed to the Courthouse.

TCOP

9:50 AM

Jordan Shaw and her team followed the White House Chief of Security towards the oval office. She had only been here once several years ago to meet with the President in order to brief him on the liaison position she had been in with the NYPD and how it was working out.

She waited as the Chief knocked on the door and waited for an answer. When he was told to come in, Jordan and her team followed and moved towards the Vice President. "Jonas Edwards...you are under arrest on charges of accessory to murder, treason, obstruction of justice, bribery and extortion." Lillian put the cuffs on him as his rights were being read to him. Jordan spoke briefly to the President and followed her team out to waiting SUVs for the trip across town while the Secret Service spirited away the prisoner to the holding area. Jordan reported in and buckled her seat belt before pulling out.

9:55 AM

JJ looked at the printout she had been handed and shook her head. This was going to be damaging. She checked her hair and makeup; vowing to make Rick proud of her she set her shoulders and started off towards the briefing room.

Across town, Ryan and Esposito entered the courthouse and made their way towards the judge's chambers.

Gabriel followed Senator Bracken into the room filled with reporters. Standing to the edge of the room, he watched as the Senator started to speak. He sent a text to Kate to let her know things were moving as expected. Then he entered the system and shut down the landline phone system for the building and connected to the local cell towers to block off reception so that no calls could go out or come in.

10:00 AM

Dallas, Texas (US Marshals)

The nondescript man was waiting to board a flight to Mexico City when two men approached him and quietly gathered him and his things and walked out of the airport heading for a Black SUV. Benito Juarez was an assassin in the employ of Bracken. He was now in the custody of the Dallas US Marshal Office.

Los Angeles, CA (US Marshals)

Two men walked into the restaurant and approached the owner. He was quietly cuffed and taken out the back. Luther King was a known hit man working for Bracken with a front as restaurant owner. Now he would be sitting in a cell courtesy of the LAPD.

Other cities

In eighteen other cities, members of Bracken's problem removal squad were gathered up and taken in for questioning. Each was charged with murder among other crimes.

New York City

Judge Markaway was caught with his pants down, literally. He was cornered in the men's room and arrested on charges of accessory to murder, treason, obstruction of justice, bribery and extortion. After he pulled up his pants he was headed for a trip to prison as one of the leaders of Bracken's organization.

10:10 AM

New York City

JJ smiled as she stepped to the podium and took a breath as the room quieted.

"Thank you for coming this morning. I will be reading a statement and will answer questions as I can." She placed her paper on the podium and began. "Several months ago the FBI and CIA intercepted some memos that pointed to an organization that was responsible for several murders. The directors of these two agencies pooled some resources to begin an extensive investigation as this organization operated both inside and outside of the United States. Quickly it was determined that the investigation would have far reaching consequences so it was decided to be run as a task force. A few weeks ago the task force was formed and has continued the investigation culminating in warrants for over 100 individuals."

She paused and looked out at the people in the room. "These warrants are being served even as we speak. It has been determined that the ringleader is a sitting US Senator. We have agents from the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, the Secret Service, CyberCom and US Marshals office as well as the NYPD that are out making arrests today."

She paused for a moment and looked around the room. "The investigation has uncovered a network of associates that have been operating for nearly twenty years. The list of individuals that have been found to be involved has been reviewed by Attorney General and the President himself." She paused to look at her watch and smiled.

"At this moment, the man who appears to be the mastermind behind these criminal activities is being arrested in DC. We will be releasing a full list of names once we have all the suspects in custody. Thank you."

Every reporter called for her attention. She called to one of them.

"Agent Jareau! Bryan Koch, Daily News. Which Senator are you referring to?"

"I cannot give out his name at this time, but as I said he should have been placed in custody a couple of minutes ago." She nodded to another.

"Mandy Newton, ABC. When do you expect the list of names to be released?"

"I can't say for sure, but I would expect within the next 24 hours." She pointed to a third.

"Kalie Wirt, New York Times. As you are working here in the city, can we assume that a Senator from New York is involved?"

"Ms. Wirt, you can assume whatever you wish. I can neither confirm nor deny anything at this time. We'll release the list via normal press release channels when it becomes available. Thank you all." She turned and left the room.

TCOP

10:15 Washington, DC Team Alpha

Gabriel watched the Senator's press conference start to wind down just as Riley entered the back of the room. When she nodded he shifted closer to Bracken's Head of Security. When he saw Rick and Kate enter the room, he moved behind his target and whispered to him. "No moves. Sit tight and be a good boy." He nodded to Rick.

Bracken saw the commotion at the back of the room and his eyes narrowed in anger when he saw Kate. He glanced around the room but there were too many witnesses and he had to be careful.

"William Bracken, you are under arrest on charges of accessory to murder, treason, obstruction of justice, bribery and extortion." She cuffed him and read him his rights while the cameras rolled and the reporters scribbled furiously.

Rick hung in the back and let Kate handle the arrest to get her some closure. He knew that today was only the beginning as there would be months of trial preparation, but he felt he had helped her find justice for her mother and for the other hundreds of victims of the Senator.

Gabriel cuffed Bracken's Security Chief and Enforcer before handing him off to an FBI agent to have his rights read to him. He winked at Riley and restored the IP traffic and cell phones. The reporter's cell phones started going off immediately. He looked down and grinned. It was a good day.

TCOP

It was after midnight when Rick and Kate finally entered the loft. They grabbed some wine and sat on the couch leaning against one another. Kate sighed. "Thanks, Alex."

Rick combed his fingers through her hair. "We did it together, Katie love. Did you call your dad?"

She laughed softly. "No, he called me about noon. JJ's press conference caught his attention and he figured we were involved. He wants us to come to dinner Sunday to get details."

"I told Jacobs I was not coming in tomorrow. We'll have a few weeks of trial prep before I can retire again..."

Kate laughed. "Already planning?"

"Yeah, I have a wedding to help plan."

Kate smiled and kissed him. "That you do, Rick. Let's get ready for bed."

Rick stood and helped her to her feet. "As you wish."

TCOP

Two days later found Rick once again in the briefing room looking out at the entire task force team. He smiled and nodded at them while he waited patiently for the last stragglers to find seats. The room was set up in the same configuration as it was for their initial briefing from several weeks earlier.

Rick looked at the clock and nodded to the agents holding the doors. They shut and locked them and found seats. "Good morning, everyone and welcome to the Debriefing session for Task Force 13-081 Codename: Dragonslayer. Once again I am SAC Rodgers. To my right is my second in command SSA Shaw. To my left is Detective Beckett of the NYPD. To her left is Deputy Director Hunt with the CIA and to my far right is SA Harper.

"We began this effort in earnest several weeks ago with the major objective to investigate allegations against Senator William Bracken and others to be identified. We have fully completed our goals and this task force is considered to be a success. Two days ago our investigation culminated in the arrest of Senator Bracken as well as the Vice President, other members of Congress and ninety-two others. We are following up on several others who remain at large but should have them in custody within the week.

"So let me say this...excellent job, everyone! There is not a single person in this room who failed to make a difference in this operation. We will be placing commendations in all of your personnel jackets in regards to your participation in this effort. To our brethren here from other agencies, the commendations will be forwarded to your respective directors as well.

"We still have work to do; the suspects are yet to be put behind bars. We need to make sure our documentation is together and we must make ourselves available if need be for hearings and the like. We have until next Friday before we disband officially and on that date we will have a get-together to celebrate a job well done.

"Now head out there and let's make sure we are trial-ready. Thanks again! Dismissed."

He turned back to the rest of the command staff. "Thanks to all of you for your help. We wouldn't have gotten him without your assistance."

Jordan grinned. "Well, I got the chance to work with Ricky Rodgers, so I'm good." Everyone laughed.

Kate sobered. "And I got to find out way more about you than I expected."

Jackson smiled at Rick. "It was an honor to work with you and if you ever need me, let me know." Rick nodded as the man got up and left.

The others started to disburse when Rick felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Lillian, Gabriel and Riley standing there. "Thanks, guys. It was great to work with you all."

Gabriel grinned. "Yeah, catching the bad guy is fun."

Riley snorted. "You keep in touch, will you?"

Rick smirked. "Of course we will, April! We might even invite you to the wedding." Riley glared at him and then kissed his cheek and moved to Gabriel's side.

Lillian narrowed her eyes and smirked. "April? Do I sense a good story here?"

"You can ask her later. Looks like you and I need to get to know each other, cuz..."

Lillian snorted. "Looks like it."

"I'll call you and invite you to dinner in a few weeks when things settle down."

"That works for me." She leaned over and gave Rick a hug.

He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. "You take care, Lilli, ok?"

"You too." She kissed his cheek, gathered the others and left.

Soon only Rick and Kate were left. Rick led her out to their desks and their things. "Well, we'll have a few weeks to build the case but then it will be a few months before it goes to trial. Do you want to head home and we'll relax and start talking about wedding plans?"

Kate smiled. "That seems like a good idea. I do have some questions, though."

"Hopefully I have some answers."

She snorted. "Well, are you going to leave the Bureau again and come back with me to the precinct? Are you going to write again and be Rick Castle? When do you want to get married?"

He looked at her thoughtfully. "I can answer those...whew! First, my plans with the Bureau have not changed. They have asked me to come back, but I feel I am a bigger asset working with you. There are some options in between and we can discuss them later, but I will not be moving back to DC. My home is in New York with you." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "So...I think I have a premise for a new book...I think I will call it Federal Heat. Maybe Rook's back story will be revealed?"

She grinned. "I'd read it."

He winked. "Then I'll write it! As to getting married? I bet we can get some planning done and then we can grab some dinner then settle in for the night."

"Sounds good." The pair headed to the garage and went home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. The New Day

Rick and Kate were sipping their coffee and picking at a pastry tray while discussing wedding ideas.

"Rick, I will not get married in space!"

Rick grinned. "Oh, come on, Kate…it would be so cool!"

"No. Now, when do you want to get married?"

"This morning?"

Kate laughed. "Me, too, but I think my Dad can't make it…and Alexis has school."

"We could write her a note…"

Kate rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't mind a winter wedding."

"Do you mean before or after Christmas?"

"Hmm. What do you think about early December? Mom's favorite holiday was Christmas and I love the time of year. What do you think?"

"Katie love, I think it's great. And definitely a fitting nod to your Mom."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Rick went over to answer it and took a shopping bag from the doorman. He handed him a tip and closed the door.

Kate watched as he sat the bag on the dining table. "What's that?"

Rick motioned her over. "I asked Eduardo to get as many papers as he could since yesterday's op should be front page news."

He pulled out the New York Times. "Yeah…here we go. 'Bracken bested by Beckett!' Oh I like that!"

Kate pulled out the Post. "Senate Scandal! Bracken a baddie!"

Rick pulled out the rest and spread them over the table. Most were variations of the same. "Oh look! Boston Globe really loves him! Senator has VP in his pocket! Although, I do like the alliterative ones better."

Kate looked at the various papers. "Why did you get all these?"

"They're for you, Kate. Proof that you did what you set out to do. Bracken is finished; you won."

She moved towards him as he opened his arms. He held her as realization hit; _she had done it_. Her body was wracked with sobs as she let out all of the anguish, the pain; for the first time she fully let the grief of her mother's death wash over her.

Rick held her and murmured words of love to her as she cleansed her soul. He picked her up and put her in bed, crawling beside her to hold her as she released it all. After a while he felt her relax as she fell asleep so he crawled out of bed to get some water for her and to clean up the remains of their breakfast.

A couple of hours later Kate woke up to hear one of her favorite sounds; Rick's fingers flying over the keys of his laptop. She saw the glass of water on her night stand and gratefully drank it down. She quietly walked over to the door of the study and leaned against the frame, watching him put down his thoughts.

A few minutes later he slowed down and saved what he had been working on. "Weren't you the one that used to complain how creepy it was to stare?"

"I don't remember that."

He rolled his eyes. "_Convenient_. So…do you feel any better?"

"Yeah. Thanks for letting me get it out."

"No need for thanks, Kate. I'm glad I was able to be there for you. That's all I ever wanted."

She smiled. "You are too good to me, Alex."

"That is not true, love. I think we are just right for each other."

"So what were you writing?"

"Are you sure you want spoilers? Usually you want to wait until I have a finished draft."

"Well, how about a hint?"

"Well, it's a story about onions and layers…" He winked at her.

"So, Rook is going to be letting Nikki know about his past?"

"Sort of. I mean, Rook has been working with Nikki for a while now and both of them have things in their past they have yet to share. We've gotten glimpses of Nikki's past, so it's only fair that his gets some time. I'm toying with having his past cross with Derek's just to tie the two series together."

"That might be an interesting twist. Maybe they worked together?"

Rick grinned. "Maybe. Guess we'll see."

TCOP2

The next morning saw them return to the New York field office. The other agencies were doing their prep in Washington, but Rick wanted to do most of theirs close to home. He began his day with a conference call with Dak Thorne, the Director of the FBI.

"Good morning, sir."

"_Good morning, Rodgers. We've got a few things to cover today. Are you in the room alone?_"

"Yes, sir, I am."

"_Good. I would like to talk about some HR items if you would_."

Rick grimaced, glad there was no video. "Of course, Sir."

Thorne laughed. "_It's not as bad as you think, Rick. Let's clear up the easy part first. I will need a quick evaluation on some people._"

"Who shall we start with?"

"_Let's begin with SSA Shaw._"

"Jordan Shaw was a major asset to the Op, sir. Her knowledge and ability to organize so effectively made things much easier."

Thorne snorted. "_If I didn't know better I would have thought that the two of you compared notes. That's almost exactly what she said about you._"

Rick laughed. "I knew I liked her!"

"_Okay...Analyst Garcia._"

"Sir, Penelope would be welcome to be on any team that I ran. She has a way to solve almost any tech issue. And I have not met many better to dig up needed data in a pinch."

"_Excellent! She's on tap for a promotion and it's good to know she is a valuable asset. Next up is Agent Jareau_."

"JJ is tops at being a liaison, and her instincts on profiling are very good. She has a lot of potential."

"_Thanks. Now, there is another item we need to discuss and I want to be upfront about it. SSA Hotchner is about to be offered a new assignment. The Assistant Director position is opened up and we feel he would be a major asset there. If that occurs, we will have an opening to run the BAU if you're interested._"

"Thank you, sir, but I'm still planning on backing off."

"_I knew you would say that but I wanted to make the offer. If you do not take it I am going to offer it to SSA Shaw._"

"She would be an excellent fit there."

"_My thoughts exactly. Now, what to do with you_."

"Me. sir? I plan to go back to assisting the NYPD and marrying my fiancée."

"_Not a bad plan, Rick. What if you could do so and still carry your credentials?_"

"What do you mean?"

"_You have impressed the President, Rick. He would prefer that you be available in times of crisis. He has asked me to find a way to keep you available._"

"Sir, I..."

"_Give me a moment before you say no. I have been in touch with the NYPD chief and he waxes poetic about your time spent with the 12th precinct. He would love to hire you but the policy about fraternization would not work well for you. I have some discretionary funds available and I thought that having a liaison with one of the largest police departments in the country might not be a bad thing. What do you think?_"

Rick sat for a moment. "What would the duties of this position entail?"

"_Your duties would be mainly to assist the NYPD as a consultant to one of their homicide teams. Additionally, you would provide access to Bureau resources if necessary to speed things up. There are more things, but that's the largest part of it._"

"Would you expect there to be much travel to Washington?"

"_No...well, except in times of emergency. We would expect anyone interested to know the city very well._"

"I see. And would there be a Fed gun license available for the Lead Detective in case she had to backup this liaison at times?"

Thorne chuckled. "_I'm sure that would happen._"

"May I have a few hours to think about it, sir? I need to speak to my partner before I make sure."

"_Sounds good, Rodgers._"

"Thank you, sir. I would like to return to writing as well...would that be an issue?"

"_Not at all. We can even transfer your qualifications over to your new name, if needed._"

"No, sir. That will not be necessary."

"_Okay, son. Let me know by end of day so that I can get things moving._"

"Yes, sir." He hung up the phone and headed to find Kate to get her input on the morning's revelations.

TCOP2

Kate sat chatting with Jordan as she saw Rick approach. She smiled at him as he leaned on her desk. "You look upset."

Rick shook his head. "Not upset. Just have a lot to think about. What are you two chatting about?"

Jordan grinned. "Having your babies." She winked at Kate.

Rick's jaw dropped and he stuttered his reply. "Having my what?"

Kate smirked. "Babies...you know...miniature versions of us?"

Rick looked at them and narrowed his eyes. "You two are evil."

Kate snickered. "Evil? No not me? I don't think Jordan is either."

Jordan narrowed her eyes. "I can be evil, but I'm not evil by nature."

Rick rolled his eyes. "Jordan, has Thorne talked to you at all in the past couple of days?"

"No, why?"

Rick grinned evilly. "Oh, no reason." He winked at Kate and walked away.

Jordan growled. "You know, sometimes I hate that man."

Kate laughed. "Me too. He can be a pain."

"Yeah, but he's your pain." Jordan tried to hide the little bit of jealousy she felt but failed.

Kate looked at Jordan with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

Jordan looked down. "If he weren't yours...maybe."

"Oh, Jordan."

"No, Kate. Hopefully I'll get as lucky as you."

The two sat and quietly sipped their coffee as they both thought about what had just been revealed.

TCOP2

Roy Montgomery walked out of 1PP in a bit of a stupor. He had been called in about his part of the Bracken fiasco by IA. As he sat waiting to be called he watched two men in suits walk in; they were ushered into the new IA director's office. Ten minutes later he heard his name and was directed in there as well.

He saw a middle aged man seated at one end of a conference table and the two men he saw earlier were standing to one side. The man at the end of the table indicated a seat across from the two men. "Captain Montgomery, I'm Lieutenant Allen, head of IA. You were called in here to discuss your involvement with Detectives Raglan and McAllister but these gentlemen have something to say before we can proceed. Gentlemen?"

The man on the right nodded. "Allen, Montgomery...I have been directed here by the Attorney General. I have been authorized to grant full immunity to Roy Montgomery in exchange for his testimony against William Bracken and anyone associated with him. This is a one-time offer. Roy, if you agree, there will be no repercussions; I have that in writing from the Chief." He handed Roy a document. "Please read that and let me know your decision."

Roy sat there and read over the document, trying to understand why he was being given the opportunity. He looked up at the two men. "Why?"

The man on the left leaned forward. "Because the SAC in charge of the task force called the AG and suggested it. When the AG reviewed your record he agreed."

Roy looked back down at the document in front of him. So Rick had come up with this. It would mean that Evelyn and the girls would not have to deal with his errors of judgment and he could keep his career. He took the pen on the table and signed it before handing it back to the man.

The second man leaned forward again. "Allen, this interview is complete. All records of Captain Montgomery's dealing with Bracken are now sealed and cannot be used against him."

Allen nodded. "Good luck Roy. I didn't want to do this anyway...you are a good cop."

"Thanks." Allen shook his hand and left the room.

"Roy, we haven't been introduced. My name is Dak Thorne and I am the Director of the FBI." He looked at the AG's representative. "This is Darrin Mann of the AG's office. When I heard he was coming today, I asked to tag along. I wanted to talk to you about Rick Castle. Do you have a minute?"

As Roy got in his car to drive back to the precinct, he couldn't help but grin. What might have been a disastrous day turned out pretty good. He pulled out and headed to his office whistling.

TCOP2

Rick walked down to the coffee shop while he thought about the earlier conversation about his future. As he listed the pros and cons for being a liaison versus a consultant, he wondered if he could make a difference if he carried a gun. Surely Kate and the guys would be safer. He ordered a coffee for Kate and himself. Looking around he saw a familiar face and grinned. He paid for their coffees and walked towards her. "Hey, Jenn."

JJ smiled. "Hi, Rick. I have to head back to the BAU but wanted to say goodbye."

He sat the coffees on a nearby table and grabbed her in a hug. "I'll miss you. You have my number if you need me. And I will call you in a few weeks. I want you to meet Alexis."

She smiled. "I want to meet her, too. Will you please come to visit? I want you to meet Will and Henry."

He squeezed her. "Of course! I may take a week after I resign before I head back to shadow Kate; maybe I'll pop over and visit."

"Are you really going to resign again?"

He nodded. "Most likely. They are really trying to keep me but I don't think I could do this full time. I like helping Kate and helping the victim's families get closure."

"I can understand that. Keep me posted?"

He kissed her forehead. "I will, Jenn. Now go home and see your family!"

"Yes, sir! See you soon." He nodded and grabbed the coffees as he watched her walk away. He made his way back up to his desk and sat Kate's coffee next to her.

She smiled as she saw the cup come down. She looked over to Jordan's empty desk and then she looked at Rick. "So what did they say to have you look like that?"

He looked over at her. "We'll talk about it at home. Jenn just came and said goodbye; she's headed home. Garcia is leaving tomorrow. It will be like a ghost town by Monday and we will still have five days left."

"I'll still be here."

"Has Montgomery called you and told you when to go back?"

She looked at her phone. "No. Why?"

Rick grinned. "I was thinking..."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Here's another chapter for you! Please review and let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 3

Alexis Castle was a woman on a mission. She and her grandmother had just finished a long talk about her dad's time in the FBI. She had learned that he had been a rising star when he left; it was likely that he would be in the upper echelon of the Bureau if he had stayed. The stories she heard when they had attended his re-swearing ceremony made her realize that her dad was much more than she had thought. According to some folks that she spoke to that day her dad was something of a legend under his birth name.

But what had her upset was that her mother had known all of this but had been so selfish as to put her so-called career first. Alexis looked back at her mother as an actress and shook her head. Meredith had never even made the b-list! Her biggest claim to fame was her 36 seconds on an episode of NCIS. She played a woman coming from a gym that was killed 36 seconds by a bullet. She had to shower, dress, grab a juice, walk out of a building and fall down. Oh, and lay very still on a slab for 5 seconds. Not exactly Emmy stuff unless they had a category for most likely to die in 36 seconds.

And now the woman had the audacity to show up at the loft unannounced. Alexis was sure that this did not bode well and she was going to nip it in the bud. She stalked off the elevator and made her way to the front door. Opening the door, she saw her mother standing amidst a sea of bags. Meredith turned around and smiled as Alexis stuck her phone to her ear. "Hi, John…we are going to need a car here at the loft. I don't know the destination, it will be provided once your passenger determines it. Fifteen minutes? Thanks." Alexis hung up the phone.

"Alexis, honey, what's going on?"

"What's going, Mom...is you. Why are you here?"

"I need a reason to visit my beautiful daughter?"

"Cut the crap, Mom. What do you need from Dad?"

"Wow, honey, calm down. I just need a little loan until the paperwork goes through on a second mortgage of the house in Malibu."

"You are trying to take out a loan on a house that you don't own? Are you purposely being vapid Mom or are you really that stupid? No reputable bank would loan you money on someone else's property."

"Oh, come on, honey. Don't believe everything you see. I can convince your dad to loan me the money and sign over the house to me. I haven't had a good scratch to my itch in months!"

"Oh my God, Mom! You did not just tell me you were planning to have sex with Dad for money? Oh, wait, that's how you got so far in life, wasn't it? Demeaning yourself for promises of roles and money? No wonder Dad divorced you! You have no morals." Alexis had missed the door opening and Kate and Rick coming in.

Alexis glanced over and saw the two of them looking at her in shock, but this tirade had been building for a long time. "You know, Mom, for a long time I wondered why you left us. Then for a few years I almost blamed Dad. But as I got older I realized something. We were better off without you. Dad needs someone who will support him and love him and you can't even support yourself. You are forty years old Mom; yet here you are trying to use your body to get money from your ex-husband. How pathetic is that anyway? You should just face facts Mom. You are not a good actress. You are not a good mother. You must not have been a good wife. What are you good at besides selling yourself?" With that she stormed upstairs and went to her room, slamming her door.

Meredith stood there in shock. She could hardly get a word in edgewise and wasn't really sure how she would have responded anyway. The intercom buzzed and she watched as Rick went to answer it. He turned around and looked at Meredith with an expression on his face that she had never seen from him before. It was disgust.

"Meredith, there is a car downstairs waiting for you. I think you've finally managed to anger our daughter so much that she is through with you. Please do not come back. Do not call. If she wants to talk to you, she will call you. I've put up with you and made the mistake of seeing you when you came into town, but I won't ever make that a mistake again. You need to leave and take your bags with you." He took her bags and threw them out in the hall. "Goodbye, Meredith." He ushered her out and closed the doors.

Kate stood quietly and let the events unfold without comment. She looked over at Rick and moved to put an arm on his back as she hugged him. "Do you want me to go check on Lex?"

He shook his head. "When she gets like this, she's best left alone for an hour or so. Then we'll go up together and see what she has to say."

Kate looked at him for a moment and shrugged. "I'm just going to see if she's hungry. Feel like going out for dinner?"

"Sure. Are you thinking anything in particular?"

Kate thought for a moment. "Pasta sounds good."

"Italian it is. You check on her and I will make a reservation." Rick watched her head up the stairs and smiled. He loved that she wanted to check on Alexis...she didn't realize it, but she already had the girl thinking of her as her mother. He scrolled through his phone and called the restaurant.

TCOP2

Alexis looked up at the knock on her door. "Come in."

Kate opened the door and leaned on the opening. "You okay, Lex?"

"Yeah. I just don't get her sometimes. Sometimes she talks to me like I'm five and other times she tells me she plans to have sex with Dad."

Kate's eyes narrowed. "She wanted to have sex with Rick when he is engaged?"

"I don't think she cares as long as she gets what she wants, Kate. She was going to try to get him to give her some money and was willing to throw herself at him to get it."

Kate snorted. "I bet you freaked her out when you yelled at her."

Alexis grinned impishly. "It felt good, too. She has taken advantage of Dad for years! I think it made more of an impact coming from me as opposed to you because she didn't expect it from me."

"I think you're right. Anyway, I came up to see if you wanted to go out to dinner with us."

"I'm starving! Where are you going?"

"Well...I don't know. I mentioned pasta to your dad."

"Awesome! He'll call Pepolino's I bet. I better grab a dress and clean up. Meet you guys in twenty?"

"Sounds good. I'll change, too and we'll wow your dad."

Alexis giggled. "Sounds like a plan." She turned as Kate closed the door and went into the bathroom to get ready.

TCOP2

Rick sat at the end of the bed while Kate looked for a dress to wear. "Was she okay?"

"She was fine, Rick. I would say that she was relieved. She said that Meredith had it coming."

"I wonder what Meredith said to make her mad. She's usually not like that."

"Well, whatever it was, she was excited to go to dinner." She turned around with a burgundy dress and laid it on the bed. "I'll be right out. How far is the restaurant?"

"Quite a few blocks. I have a car ordered and our reservation is for 6:30 so we have almost an hour."

"Okay." She headed into the bathroom and refreshed her makeup. She came out and slipped her dress on and stepped into her shoes. She transferred a few things into her small purse and headed out to meet Rick and Alexis.

Twenty minutes later she smiled as Rick helped her out of the car. She joined Alexis as Rick let the driver know about how long they would be. Kate looked around...as many years as she had been in New York she had never dined here before. The red awning with 'Pepolino Ristorante' in a happy script beckoned you to come in. Rick rejoined them and they made their way inside. Kate was captivated by the wood floors and brick walls. The whole place had an ambience of romance and family.

She looked up as a young woman approached. "Rick? Oh it is so great to see you!" She leaned up and kissed his cheek then turned to Alexis. "Lexi!" She leaned over and hugged the teen. "Oh, little Lexi! Papa will be sad that he was not here to see how beautiful you have grown!" She then turned to Kate. "And you must be Ms. Beckett! Rick has talked about you often!"

Kate looked at Rick. "He has? Well, it's nice to meet you."

"Oh, my manners! Welcome to Pepolino's… I'm Angelique." She smiled at the three of them and looked at Kate. "I've known Rick and Alexis since she was little and I was a teenager. My father has worked here for many years and I waitressed here while I was in high school and college. Rick wrote a very nice letter of introduction when I applied to Harvard to get my business degree. Luckily I had good grades in high school and managed a good scholarship."

Kate smiled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you. Now let me show you to your table." She led them to a table in the back of the restaurant and handed them their menus. "Gregory will be serving you tonight. I will have a bottle sent to your table. Buon appetito!"

Kate looked at Rick. "How does she know what wine to send?"

"Ah...well we are regulars here and I have a few bottles stored for our use."

"Ah, so a Chianti?"

Rick smiled. "You would think. But I found a great Argentine wine that works best, so I have a few bottles stored here."

At that point, a young man approached the table. "Buonasera, I am Gregory and I will be your server this evening. Welcome back, Mr. Castle, Miss Castle. And welcome, Miss Beckett." He pulled a bottle of wine from behind his back and three glasses. He opened the wine and poured a small bit into Rick's glass. Rick lifted the glass and took a whiff then a sip and nodded. Gregory poured the wine into all three glasses and set the bottle on the table. "Are you ready to order?"

Kate looked at Rick. "You order for me."

Rick nodded. "Alexis will have the Spaghetti Ai Gamberi; the lady and I will have Pollo Alla Buco and Costolette D'agnello."

Gregory nodded. "Very good sir. I'll be back to check on you shortly." He walked away towards the kitchen.

Kate pulled the bottle towards her after she took a sip. "2006 Trapiche Bonarda Broquel...this is really good!"

Alexis smiled at her dad. "Dad let me try some last time and I liked it. So I get a half glass with dinner and then I drink water. But it is good."

Rick smiled. "I wanted to share my love of good wine with her. She used to get sparkling grape juice, but when she turned 16 I decided she could have a little wine on special occasions."

Alexis grinned. "Can I propose a toast?" She raised her glass. "To Dad and Kate, may you have a happy life together!"

They all sipped their wine and made conversation while they waited for their meals to arrive.

TCOP2

William Bracken was not a happy man. He had tried to call his people to come make bail for him, but he had gotten no responses. He saw on the news that his arrest was the top story. He looked at the list of names that had been released and his ego plummeted; they had done a thorough job at identifying his network. Once he had seen the list he realized that he was not getting out anytime soon. His assets had been frozen and he could not even afford to hire an attorney.

He was still being held in the holding cells of the Metro Police. His arraignment hearing was scheduled for the next day, but he knew that the charges would stick. His run for the Presidency was through; hell, any further political aspirations were trashed. How had the FBI gotten involved? He knew he should have gotten rid of that _Beckett_ broad!

The lawyers that had been appointed for him were little more than fresh graduates from law school. But his massive resources from just a few weeks ago were so ravaged that he had no other options; he had to take what he was give…for now at least. He would return, and when he did, he would remove that bitch that put him there.

TCOP2

Rachel McCord was the chief investigator for the Attorney General's office. She had been assigned to review the evidence collected by the task force and look for any gaps. As she dug through the records compiled by the team, she kept seeing Kate Beckett's name. She had heard of Beckett and did a background check on her; at one point Beckett had been considered to be approached for recruitment but there had not been an appropriate reason for contact. As she went over the rest of the team she saw Rick Rodgers and it sparked a memory.

_She had been working on a particularly difficult case involving a human trafficking ring and the BAU had been called in to assist. She hated the head shrinks because they usually got the glory after the initial team couldn't crack the case. _

_She had heard that they were sending in some hotshot rookie agent; evidently they didn't even rate the help of one of the veterans. This pissed her off. The people they were tracking were dangerous and were responsible for hundreds of kids going missing. They needed someone who could really help not some Ivy League prepster with connections!_

_In walks this guy that exudes confidence. She takes in the outer appearance and shakes her head. She had been in the Civil Rights Unit for three years and had seen some really bad things. She wasn't sure the BAU agent had even been on a case yet._

_He walked up to her. "Rick Rodgers, BAU. You're Agent McCord, right?"_

_She narrowed her eyes. "How did you know?" She was one of several female agents so she didn't think it would be easy to zone in on her._

_He smiled. "Agent Rachel McCord…twenty seven years old, newly married and top of her class at the Academy. Coffee drinker…enjoys golfing and is a rabid baseball fan, especially the…Cincinnati Reds?"_

_She stared at him, dumbfounded. "Did you do a background check on me?"_

_He laughed. "No."_

_"Then how did you know all that?"_

_He grinned. "Well, let's see…your Academy diploma is from four years ago, making you twenty seven. You play with your wedding ring, which most likely means it's new to you. You have a stained coffee cup on your desk next to a pack of breath mints, so you likely drink your coffee black. You have just a couple personal items in your office…a picture of you and a man in wedding clothing, a desktop putting green for de-stressing and a baseball in a case, signed by Davy Concepcion, arguably the best ever shortstop in the game and a part of the Big Red Machine."_

_She grinned. "Not bad, Rodgers. Ready to help me catch some bad guys?"_

_"Let's grab a cup of coffee and show me what you have so far." She nodded and headed towards the kitchenette._

As she came out of her musing, she closed the case files. With his help they had cracked the case and put the 'bad guys' behind bars. It had been the biggest bust she was a part of during her tenure. When she left the FBI several years ago to work for the AG, she had been selected in part due to her work on that case. She grinned when she thought of the day she had met Rick Rodgers. The last she had heard he had left the Bureau; she would definitely have to find him and see what was going on.

TCOP2

Dak Thorne smiled as he hung up the phone. He looked over at his Army buddy Jack Hunt. They sat looking at each other for a couple of minutes before either spoke. "Looks like we were able to get the situation with Montgomery resolved; the AG's office just confirmed immunity for his testimony. We're going to spin it as a sting operation."

Hunt nodded. "Good. What about the staff?"

"It seems that the Senator's staff was quick to turn on him; he was not kind to them. His top aide handed over both the official and personal calendars without being asked. One of the interns admitted to being pressured to submit to his sexual advances and that started the ball rolling. We are adding multiple counts of sexual harassment to his already impressive list of charges."

"So any luck with Richard?"

Thorne grinned. "I think so. His weakness is his girlfriend. I let him know I would issue a Federal permit for her to carry as a thank you for his acceptance as a reserve SAC. He wanted time so I gave him till the end of the day. He called me earlier to tell me he would let me know by nine PM."

Hunt smiled. "Good. Now where are we on the Iranians?"


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: _Thanks for all the follows on this story. I'm posting this chapter a little earlier than expected as I am going out of town for a few days. That means that Chapter 5 will be a little later as I am not taking my laptop with me. I do hope you are enjoying this little romp as we peel even more layers from the Castle Onion. Again, thanks LEM for the Beta._

Chapter 4. Who let the Dogs Out?

Rick sat back and smiled. He looked at his girls. They were both beautiful; he was a very lucky man. They were chatting about a myriad of things...he hated to interrupt them, but he wanted their input."Ladies?" They both turned to him.

"I have something I want to run by the two of you. I've been offered a job of sorts and I would like your opinion."

Kate looked alarmed. "Are you not coming back with me?"

"It depends on our decision in a way. But don't panic, it will be fine."

"Dad, you're scaring us. Just spit it out."

Rick grinned. "It seems that the FBI would prefer not to part with me. I've been offered a job working as a consultant with the NYPD."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Well, _Rick_, you are already a consultant with the NYPD."

"Yes, but this would be a paid position...and I get to carry."

"Dad, weren't you going to leave the FBI again?"

He nodded. "That was the plan Alexis. But the one thing that always worried me was that I couldn't really be Kate's partner because I couldn't have her back for real."

Kate put her hand over his. "Rick, you've had my back."

He turned his hand over and gently squeezed hers. "I know, Kate, but I always had to hang back because I was unarmed. I won't be in the future."

"Okay, so what's the catch?"

"I had that same question. Well, my primary job would be to help the NYPD if Federal assistance was needed. If none was needed I would be assigned as your partner officially. If a national emergency came up, I could be called to Washington to assist until the crisis had passed."

Kate looked at Alexis who shrugged. "So what do you want from Alexis and me?"

"I don't know. Do you think I should take this or not?"

Alexis looked at her dad. "Dad, you once told me that you should make decisions based on a combination of what your heart and your head say to you. So what do they say?"

"My head says it's a good thing and my heart says that I would not have to be worried so much about losing Kate."

Kate smiled. "So what does that make your decision?"

Rick grinned and pulled out his phone. He hit the speed dial for the Director's office. "Hello, sir? Can I give it a trial run?" He smiled. "Thank you, sir. I'll call you tomorrow." Rick pulled his glass of wine towards him and took a gulp and motioned for Gregory to bring their check.

TCOP2

He looked up at the knock on the door. "Enter."

Rachel McCord walked in and closed the door behind her. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

The Deputy AG nodded. "I would like you to go to New York and assist in trial prep for the Bracken case."

"Only _assist_, sir?"

"That's right, McCord. The team there is qualified and you are to help them navigate any..._hurdles_ that come up. You contact me and I will help you."

"Yes, sir. When do you want me there?"

"In the morning will be fine, Agent McCord. And please give this to the Special Agent in Charge." He handed her a courier pack.

She nodded. "Of course, sir. I'll get the arrangements made and be there first thing."

"Great. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She clutched the pack and left his office, going straight to the travel team to get things in place.

The travel team lead looked up at her approach. "Where to this time Rachel?"

"New York City. I'll need a flight for me and hotel for three nights starting tomorrow. I need to be there first thing."

He started typing. "Will you need a car?" At her nod he typed some more.

"I'll forward details to your phone. You're confirmed for a six AM flight and you'll be staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania on 7th avenue. I'll have your car ready at the airport with a GPS."

She smiled. "Thanks, Jerry."

"Have a safe trip."

She grinned and headed to gather her things; she had to go home and get packed.

TCOP2

Evelyn Montgomery had been a cop's wife for years. Her husband had risen through the ranks to Captain; she was not blind to dome of the things that happened. When he had come home earlier she knew that something had happened but she had not dreamed that he had been involved as deeply as he had originally. He had been so gullible to be pulled into things by Raglan.

She watched him sip his whiskey while she contemplated what to say. "Is that everything?"

He nodded. "I knew that Raglan had not been truthful with Kate, but there was nothing I could do at the time. I didn't know that Bracken had ordered her mother's killing; the whole thing was beyond what I was aware of at the time. I finally figured it out when I caught her in the records room as a rookie and I got a look at the paperwork. Random gang violence is what he called it. Stabbings with that many entry points usually means anger and that is not random."

Evelyn walked over to him and lifted his chin so that she could look him in the eye. "A wise man once told me that sometimes you have to take a stand."

He chuckled. "A wise man? I'm not wise, Ev. But I am going to take a stand. I'll understand if this means..."

"Stop right there Roy Edward Montgomery! I do not want to hear another word from you! For better or for worse, remember? Now go take a shower and get ready for bed...you stink!" She turned away from him to go get a glass of water. She needed some aspirin and then she was going to get some sleep.

Roy looked up at the woman he loved as she left the room. He once again marvelled at the way she read him. He finished his drink and headed upstairs to check in on his girls and get a shower. He smiled at the sleeping girls and closed their door. He was a very lucky man.

TCOP2

Rick sat on the side of the bed. They had gotten back home and Alexis kissed him before she headed off to her room for the night. Kate had stepped out of her shoes and taken them to the bedroom to put away and he followed. He emptied his pockets and hung up his jacket before he had sat down to remove his shoes.

"Are you okay, Rick?"

He looked up and smiled. "I'm fine, love. I'm just relaxing...when we met, I had no idea the danger you were in. It's nice to finally scale back the worry."

"Rick, I...I'm sorry. I never wanted to drag you through all this."

He jumped up and pulled her to him. "Katherine Beckett, you better stop right now. You never asked me to do anything; I jumped right in."

"I know, but..."

"Kate?"

She looked up at him. "Yeah?"

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do."

"Would you do anything if it meant I would be safe?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Would you put yourself in danger for me or Alexis?"

She looked down. "Yes."

"Then there is nothing to be sorry about."

"I hate when you are right."

"Oooooh..._say that again_."

She grinned. "Say what again?"

"That I was right."

She shook her head. "I have no idea why you think that!"

He glared at her. "You said it!"

"Nope...you misheard me."

"Ugh!"

She laughed. "I love you, Alex."

He fake pouted. "Are you sure?"

She leaned in and kissed him. "I couldn't be surer."

"More sure."

"Whatever. Now take me to bed."

He grabbed her and threw her on the bed before turning out the lights.

TCOP2

He looked over his shoulder and didn't see anyone following. He had been pursued all day and he thought that he had lost them twice, but they turned up shortly each time.

He approached the door of the derelict warehouse, glad that he had set up several of these bolt-holes just in case. He turned the key in the lock and swiftly entered, closing the door behind him and securing it.

He leaned against the door and relaxed his shoulders allowing himself to release the tension. He smiled to himself as he thought back to their surprise when he ran; they hadn't been expecting it. He knew the game was up when he heard the insistent knocking on his front door. He wondered who had given him up...he hated loose ends. He decided to plan his revenge in the morning and walked through to the office where he had a cot and supplies stored for emergencies.

He unpacked the cot and threw the sleeping bag on top before grabbing a box from the stack of MRE's sitting there. He pulled out his trusty p40 can opener and popped the can of chicken and grabbed a couple of crackers. He ate greedily and grabbed a bottle of water to wash it down with. He finished up and threw the trash into a bad he kept handy for that reason before he settled down into the sleeping bag. He kept his pistol within reach as he closed his eyes and let the fatigue he felt carry him away into slumber.

TCOP2

Tommy Maretti was a third generation member of the Palono family. He had done his first smash & grab when he was ten and had made his way up the ranks until, at thirty-eight years of age ran the 'escort' business for the family. He had caught the eye of Lucy Palono who was the sister of the head of the family and they had become engaged officially the day before. The family gathered that night and had celebrated with free flowing wine; that explained Tommy's hangover.

He rolled out of bed and made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. He adjusted the water and tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper before stepping in and letting the hot water ease his headache. He heard movement in the bathroom and smiled. Lucy had a habit of joining him in the shower. "Hey, baby...you ok this morning?"

He did not, however, expect the gravelly voice that replied or the snicker that accompanied it. "Nah, Tommy. I'm good, but _thanks for askin_'."

Tommy closed his eyes. Vince Stefani was one of Joey Palono's right hand men. "What's up Vinnie?"

"Boss wants to see ya."

"Okay...can I finish my shower?"

"Sure. I'll wait outside."

Tommy heard the door close and he made quick work of getting clean and dressing before joining Vince in the kitchen. "I'm ready. Any idea what's up?"

Vince smiled. "Yeah. Congratulations, by the way. Lucy's a sweet girl."

Tommy smiled. "Yeah...I'm a lucky stiff. She is way too good for me and I have to work to make sure I may someday be worthy."

"Grab your jacket and we'll head out." Tommy nodded and put his jacket on. He followed Vince out to the car and got in. They were quiet as they drove to Joey Palono's house and stayed that way as they made their way inside. Tommy nodded to the few others that they passed as they walked through the house and out to the patio beyond where Joey sat eating breakfast.

Joey looked up and motioned for Tommy to sit in the empty chair across from him. "Morning, Tommy. You eat already?"

"No, but I'm not that hungry."

"Nonsense, you're gonna have to eat to keep up with that sister of mine."

Tommy laughed. "Your sister is something else, Joey. Thanks again for your blessing."

Joey looked up. "Lucy is a frustrating sister but I know she loves you. I'm glad she chose you; but the situation changes things."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Joey grinned. "I'm gonna ask Tony to take over your job. You, my future brother-in-law are destined for bigger things."

"What do you need me to do, Joey?"

Joey looked over at Vince. "See why I love this guy? What do I need?" He laughed and turned back towards Tommy. "I think you are gonna like your new job." Tommy smiled as he waited. Knowing Joey, he could be waiting to be killed but he was in too deep to worry.

Joey nodded and Vince left the room. "Tommy, how long have we known each other?"

"All our lives, Joey. Our mothers were best friends and we were born less than a week apart. I can't remember NOT knowing you."

Joey smiled. "Exactly! We have always been like brothers, haven't we? And who else would I trust with Lucy?"

"I will be honored to be your brother in law, Joey."

"Good. Well, I know you're wondering why I asked you to come today."

"I will admit being a little curious."

Joey laughed. "I have a job opening, Tommy, and I want you to fill it."

Tommy looked confused. "What do you want me to do?"

Joey shook his head. "It seems I am in need of a new Consigliore."

Tommy was confused. That was Vince's job. "What about Vince?"

It was the first time all day that Joey looked angry. "Vince has decided to step down from the position."

Tommy looked at Joey with a frown. "If you want me to be your advisor, I will need to know more than you have told me in the past. For instance, what did Vince do to make you so angry?"

Joey leaned back, smiling again. "Good! You know what to ask. I would ask Vince to join us to explain himself, but he is not available at this time. John is discussing his _retirement options_ with him as we speak."

Tommy wondered just how bad it was. "So what did Vince do?"

"Does this mean you will accept the position?"

"I would be honored."

Joey nodded. "Good. The dimwit thought that I wouldn't catch him skimming, He was taking two large a week. I thought something was up last year, so I asked Lucy to record what the take was before it got to Vince and then we compared it to what Vince was turning in. I gave him three months; and when I asked him about it yesterday he didn't have the balls to admit it. So I talked with Lucy and Jerry last night and we agreed on you as a replacement."

Tommy sat back. He wouldn't have pegged Vince to go against the family, but then he never really knew the man. He looked at Joey and thought about how they had played together as kids and how much he loved the man. "So, where do we start?"

Joey smiled. "We have a request from a friend of the family. You remember Derek?"

Tommy laughed. "Man, that guy was a card. What's he been up to?"

Joey grinned. "He became a Fed, then quit and became a writer. He goes by Richard Castle now."

"_Derek is Richard Castle_? I love that Nikki Heat chick!"

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, he just brought down Bracken and company...you hear about that?"

"Yeah. Lucy and I saw some stuff on the news about it."

"Well, Derek and the real Nikki are engaged...remind me to send him a present, will ya? It seems Bracken put out the hit on Nikki's mom back in 1999."

Tommy sat up straight. "Joey, Derek saved my skin a couple of times in school. What's he asking for?"

Joey smiled. "I owe him too. He wants some pressure applied on some folks to get more dirt on Bracken and his people. Are you up for managing it? You can use any of our people that you need to."

Tommy nodded. "Should I contact him?"

"No, work it through me. Since he's back playing Fed for a bit I can get it to him. I will ask if he can drop by so we can have an engagement party for him, though."

"Okay. Thanks for the new job, Joey."

"Make me proud, Tommy. Oh, and we'll get your things moved here later. You can change your office later too."

The men stood and embraced before Tommy set off to start getting things in place to get the information together.

TCOP2

Rick and Kate got into the office early. Jordan had texted Kate that she was running a little late, so they were surprised to see her chair occupied. The woman looked familiar to Rick. "McCord?"

"Hi there, _Mastermind_."

Rick laughed. "No one has called me that in years. Kate, meet Rachel McCord. McCord, Kate Beckett, NYPD Detective and my fiancée."

McCord raised an eyebrow as she shook Kate's hand. "My condolences, Detective Beckett. The Mastermind here was a handful when I knew him."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Please call me Kate. How did you two meet?"

Rick looked at Kate. "Let's see. She hated me and I totally read her in like two minutes, so she decided to put up with me. She was an agent with the civil team and I was in the BAU...it was like my third case."

McCord laughed. "He's right. I hated him. And then he nailed my background, so I decided to see what he could do. His profile of the leader helped us crack the case. I left the bureau a few years later and joined the AG's office as an investigator. And I'm Rachel."

Rick chuckled. "Well, that explains why you're here."

She nodded. "Normally you'd be right. I'm used to coming in and taking over. But I have been directed to assist and clear red tape if necessary. Oh and I have a letter for you." She reached over next to the chair and pulled the courier pack out. She handed it to Rick and pointed to the 'Eyes Only' directive.

He looked at Kate. "I have to go to a secure room to open this. I'll be back in a few." At her nod of acceptance he headed to the conference room, leaving the two women to themselves.

Kate shook her head. "I learn more about him every day."

Rachel smiled. "He's a great guy, Kate. You're lucky to have him. When we met, I had been married several months and he figured out more about me in 5 minutes than my husband had at that point."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "I married my husband in September and it was the following March when I met Rick. He figured out I was a Cincinnati Reds fan; my husband knew I liked baseball but not which specific team I was a fan of."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "A Cincinnati fan? Is that where you are from?"

She shook her head. "I'm a Kentuckian by birth. My dad worked for the Reds for several years while I was growing up; we lived just across the river from Cincinnati."

Kate grinned. "Now, tell me why you call him Mastermind..."

TCOP2

Rick sat down and opened the pack. Inside was an envelope and a small package. Rick retrieved the envelope and opened it. Examining the signature, he grinned.

_Derek:_

_You jerk! I did not know you were back at the Bureau until the reportas from the Bracken investigation crossed my desk. I'm sending Rachel to you as I know you've worked with her in the past. She's been instructed to assist you in any way possible to help build an airtight case. I've pulled her from other cases for the next week to help you, so make good use of her skills._

_Now on to important things. How are you? I've not spoken to you in a few years...are you still working with the NYPD? Thanks for the last novel you signed! Clara is over the moon that her dad knows Richard Castle! I hesitate to tell her that we spent so much time together in detention back in boarding school. How's Alexis? Hope all is well. _

_I'd better get this sealed before McCord gets here, so call me if I can help at all. I owe you, Rick. _

_Micheal_

Rick put the letter back in the envelope and pulled out the package. He opened it and pulled out an antique silver dog whistle. At the sight of it, he burst out laughing. Kate was going to love this story!


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. Critique is welcomed as well. As one reviewer pointed out, we are finding out about another layer of the Castle Onion. That's the plan for each story in this series. There are only a couple of chapters left in this installment, but there is much more to be told. **

**Once again, enjoy!**

Chapter 5. Guess who's coming to Dinner?

Friday morning, Kate woke up and looked over at Rick. She stretched and rolled over to look at the clock. It was about ten minutes before the alarm went off and she took that time to look at her man. Relaxed in sleep she could see a bit of the playboy that had come into her life years before. His relaxed features took years off of his appearance and made her think back to the revelation she had gotten Wednesday evening.

_Rick had walked out of that conference room grinning. He sat the courier pack down on his desk and nodded to McCord. "We'll get you a desk and you can start reviewing what we have; let us know any suggestions you have and we'll try to make it happen. We'll get you introduced to Penelope and then just grab Jordan, Kate or myself if you need anything else."_

_She nodded. "Sounds good." Kate led her over to the desk that JJ had been using and left her to settle in. She found Garcia and told her to speak with McCord in ten minutes before heading back over to her desk._

_Jordan looked up and smiled. "So who is that?"_

_"Rachel McCord. She's an old friend of Rick's, it seems."_

_"Why is she here?"_

_"The AG sent her. She's going to assist in trial prep."_

_"And how is she an old friend?"_

_"Seems she used to be FBI and Rick did some profiling for one of her cases."_

_"Huh. I don't remember her but that's not unusual. So have you guys set a date yet?" Kate smiled as she talked to Jordan about some of the wedding plans._

TCOP2

He walked out of the coffee shop with a plain black coffee and a newspaper. He had cut his hair and colored it blond; he wore an expensive looking suit and was similar to dozens of people around him. He sipped his coffee and smiled. No one would recognize him. He so loved being able to blend back in after a job. His usual handler had gone quiet and he suspected that he had been nabbed. The next job had already been paid for and he was biding his time while researching the target. He checked his watch and noted the time before finding a park bench and settling in to peruse the paper.

He kept his eyes on his surrounding, knowing that his contact could be anyone. He watched as an attractive woman walked by. She was dressed way too sexy to work in an office. She was probably a working girl going home. There was a blind guy with a dog making his way over so he made a point of shaking his paper to alert the man that the bench was occupied.

The man came up to him. "Mind if Sally here and I join you for a few moments?"

He narrowed his eyes. "If I were to say no, you'd be upset I bet."

The blind man grinned. "Upset? Probably not, but then I can see you're a good man at heart."

"Take a seat, then."

The blind man nodded and moved without pause to the empty edge of the bench. "Much obliged. You're Ted, I presume?"

"Yes. And you're Bob?"

The blind man snorted. "Our friends are _imaginative_, aren't they?"

"Not very. What do you have for me?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. They've rounded up all but a few of us so we are low on resources. We are continuing with the plan, however. Are you aware of your target?"

"Yes, but I have no specifics."

"I have a file for you but it's hidden at the moment. When I get up I will leave a note that contains its location and how to retrieve it. You've lost your followers?"

"I have. I spoke to one earlier and shook his hand; the fool had no clue who I was."

"That's why you have eluded the police. You are very good at not appearing to be who you are."

The man grinned. "You are not blind at all, are you?"

He chuckled. "No...Sally just needed a walk. But people don't think a blind man is capable of subterfuge, so it works."

"Nice. Mind if I borrow that idea?"

The blind man stood. "Not at all. Well, thanks for the chat. Sally and I have work to do. Have a good rest of your day." He nodded and ambled off.

'Ted' looked over and retrieved the note. He opened and read it before standing and making his way back the way he had come. He wanted to get into position to watch her and make sure he had her routine plotted. No rest for the weary...

TCOP2

Tommy sat in his new office thinking back on the past two days. No one questioned his ascension to his new role; everyone knew better than to question Joey. Tommy had taken his first assignment on and had already found a couple more skeletons in Bracken's closet. He was starting to put the details together and had asked for a meeting with Joey to brief him on the details.

He looked up to see Lucy walk in the door and smiled. "Hello, _il mio cuore_." He rose to kiss her.

She smiled. "How are you settling in?"

"Pretty well. Joey has me working on things for Derek."

She grinned. "Ah, the infamous Derek...righter of wrongs! I have never met him but hope to soon."

He winked at her. "Should I be jealous?"

She laughed. "No, love. I've found my own white knight."

"That's probably for the best as he is engaged."

They talked for a few minutes before she left him to work.

TCOP2

He awoke to a new sound. He heard some voices and a thump from the main room. He had not expected someone to come in as the place was owned by an offshore shell company and was only there to be a safe house for hi. He pulled his weapon from beneath his pillow and carefully made his way towards the door. Thankfully he had learned to sleep fully dressed and he was ready to make a run for it if necessary. He slowly raised the blind and peered through. There were two teens with a baseball bat poking around.  
>Vandals or thieves, he suspected, but he could never be too careful. He watched them for a few minutes before he decided to confront them. He slowly opened the door and held his pistol loosely. "Well, what do we have here?"<p>

The two boys jumped. "Jesus, man you scared me. We were sent to find you."

He raised an eyebrow. "And just who sent you to find me?"

"Some old dude. He gave us this address and a phone to call him with when we..." As he said this the room flashed in a bright light and he knew no more."

TCOP2

Kate entered the loft and set her purse down. Martha was in the kitchen and Alexis was sitting at the counter. Alexis looked up and smiled. "Hi Kate. Is Dad with you?"

She shook her head. "He dropped me off and said he had a quick errand to run. I wanted to get a quick shower before our company arrived."

Alexis looked up as Martha spoke. "Richard invited company over?"

Kate nodded and walked towards the bedroom and the en suite beyond. "He didn't say who, exactly. He just mentioned that it was someone I hadn't met yet. I won't be long."

Alexis looked to Martha. "Gram, something doesn't feel right. Dad usually warns us if we're having company."

"Well you know your father, dear. Always expect the unexpected."

"I think I will go change clothes just in case." Alexis hopped off the stool and headed to her room.

Martha smiled. "That is a splendid idea...I could use with some freshening up as well."

TCOP2

Rick had dropped Kate off at the loft and drove to Alphabet City where he made a few stops. First he dropped by his favorite vintner and picked up a bottle of _2002 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserve Ducale_. He ran by Venerio's and grabbed an almond torte before heading over to order a delivery from another of his favorite Italian restaurants on East Second Street. On his way back to the loft he stopped at a flower shop and grabbed a bouquet of flowers.

He walked into the loft to find it apparently empty. He set the wine and flowers on the table and the torte in the kitchen before making his way into his bedroom. He heard the shower running and smiled. He looked at the clothes Kate had laid out and went into the closet to make his own choices. Normally, meeting with Joey would mean jeans and a casual shirt, but he mimicked Kate and pulled out a casual suit and accessories.

He heard the shower shut off and looked at the clock. He still had over an hour before he expected them to show up. He needed to take a quick shower and get ready in time to do some explaining to Kate. He looked up as she entered wrapped only in a towel. "Have I told you today how exquisite you are?"

She smiled and fought back the blush rising in her cheeks. "At least once, Rick. Did you get your errands run?"

"Yeah. I just need to take a quick shower and I'll tell you what I have planned." He leaned in a kissed her before making his way into the bathroom and closing the door.

Kate heard the shower start and dropped her towel to put on her panties and bra. She went over to the dressing table and sat to comb out her long tresses before blowing them dry. By the time she had her hair ready to be put up the shower stopped. She had thought about stockings but decided against them, so she put her dress on just as Rick emerged and went to put on his own clothes. She padded back to the table to grab her brush before she went into the bathroom to put on her makeup.

Rick quickly dressed and made his way back out to find the flowers were already in a vase and the wine was decanting. Alexis was starting to set the table for dinner. She looked up at him questioningly. "Set it for eight, Pumpkin." She nodded and got to work. Rick once again looked at the clock and noted that the food should be here shortly. He started towards the kitchen when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Kate had walked up behind him just as he told Alexis how many places to set and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned around and she leaned into him. "I think it's time for details, Mr. Castle."

He nodded and pulled her towards Alexis. "Ladies, let's wait for Mother and I will answer your questions." At the staccato beat of heels from above, he grinned. "Ah, the wait will be short."

Martha came down the staircase and came over. "This looks serious."

Rick grinned. "Not too serious, Mother. Why don't you all take a seat and I'll tell you a story?"

The three sat and Rick began. "As you all know, many years ago I attended boarding school. When I first arrived I was friendless and alone. Soon though I met my classmates and we became fast friends. There were seven of us that became very close and we grew to be inseparable. One that you all know as the mayor was Bobby Weston to me. Mikey, my best friend is better known as Michael Valenzio, Deputy Attorney General. One name you may have heard of was Joey Palono."

Kate gasped. "THE Joey Palono? Head of the Palono family?"

Rick nodded. "That's him. He's one of the ones coming tonight. Another one of us was Tommy Maretti, who is also in the Palono family. We were all the same age and in most of the same classes. The oldest of us was Derek Hough. He was our 'leader' and was two years older than us. The last one was Lillian Rose. She was a year younger and our adopted little sister."

Kate was sitting there processing that Rick knew members of the Palono family. "Rick, we'll have a lot to talk about later but let us know what we need to know for tonight."

"I knew you'd say that. Okay first of all...My second year with them Derek went missing. He was found a week later dead in the woods. He had been stabbed and the local police couldn't solve it. After we all mourned him it was decided that whoever became our new leader would be called Derek. When a vote was taken it was decided that I was the new leader. So they will probably call me Derek at times. And yes, Kate, that's where Derrick Storm got him name...I just changed the spelling. Also, when we were in school I saved Joey from falling out a window and I am counted as family to him - and that designation extends to my immediate family, so the three of you are considered family as well. I will explain more about that later. Any questions on this part?"

Kate looked at the others who were as flabbergasted as she was. "Hundreds."

Rick laughed. "Well, gather them up and I will answer them later. Just relax tonight and we'll go from there."

There was a knock at the door and Rick went to answer it. He took the bags from the delivery person and took them into the kitchen. He went back, gave the boy a tip and closed the door. He headed into the kitchen to get out the containers of food and put the bags in the trash.

There was another knock at the door and Kate answered it to find her father on the other side, "Dad?"

Jim smiled. "Hi, Katie. Rick asked me to dinner." She opened the door and let him in before closing the door and heading towards Rick.

Rick looked up. "Evening, Jim. Thanks for coming."

Jim smiled. "Thanks for inviting me. Katie looks surprised, though."

Rick laughed as she lightly punched his arm. "Yeah, I may not have told her that you were coming. Iced Tea?" At Jim's nod he poured a glass. "We're waiting on the last few people." As if by magic there was another knock at the door. Rick smiled and headed to let the last of their guests in.

TCOP2

Rachel McCord went home on Friday, planning to return on Sunday evening. She had gone through the majority of the details that had been collected and was impressed at the level of detail. She had found a couple items that they may need further research on, but Rick had said he was still reaching out to sources.

She collected her luggage and made her way towards her car when she saw her boss standing there. He looked up and smiled. "Have fun?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. We partied the entire time."

He laughed. "I'm sure. Have time to grab a bite? I have some things to discuss with you."

Since all she had to look forward to was going to an empty apartment, she shrugged. "I suppose. Should I follow you?"

He shook his head. "Give me a ride? I was dropped off."

"Sure I would say yes?"

He grinned. "If all else failed I would have made it an order.

She rolled her eyes and headed towards the car with him in tow.

TCOP2

They made it through introductions and had sat down to eat. Joey stood up and raised his glass. "A toast to the newly engaged. _Casa senza fimmina 'mpuvirisci!_" Kate smiled. She spoke enough Italian to know that he said 'A house without a woman is poor'.

They all drank and Rick stood. He looked around the table at each person and smiled. "To family."

After they had all taken another drink, Tommy looked over to Joey, who nodded. "Derek, I wanted to thank you for inviting us. It's been too long since we've seen each other."

Rick nodded. "It was hard to see anyone since Rosie's funeral."

Joey raised his glass. "To Little Rosie, may she rest in peace." They all solemnly took a drink. "She was a wonderful woman."

Rick grinned. "And a pain in the ass little sister."

Joey chuckled. "At least you didn't marry her."

Kate's eyes widened. "Sorry, but Rick didn't tell me much about her. What happened?"

Joey looked down. "Lily was a pistol. We met her when we were fifteen and she was fourteen. I think she had a crush on Rick here and hung around us a lot. After Derek's funeral and Ricky becoming the new Derek I spent more time with her than he did. She was funny and had a heart of gold. After we all graduated she lost her parents in a car crash; we all went to the funeral and Rick had her mortgage paid off. I remember that she tore into him because she took no charity.  
>"He told her that family took care of each other. She slapped him and told him to never do it again. He smiled and kissed her forehead. She and I had started dating before that and she let me help her settle their estate. We were married just before Rick married the actress. Sorry, Alexis, but your mother is a piece of work."<p>

Alexis grinned. "I know…it's okay."

He sipped his wine and continued. "Lily found out after we married that she couldn't have children. It hurt her badly but I was okay. I had her and that was enough. But in 2007 we found out she had cancer and she died about four months later."

Tommy looked at Joey. "I was the one that named her Little Rosie. When we first met her she was so soft spoken that when she said Lily Rose it sounded like Little Rosie."

Rick laughed. "I remember she kicked you in the groin when you first called her that. She definitely could be loud when she was mad!"

Joey laughed. "Oh, Derek...she could be loud. She once yelled at me so loud my bodyguard broke down the door. Then she turned and yelled at him!"

Tommy wiped his eye. "For someone that was five feet tall she cowed people more than a foot taller than her."

They spent the next hour eating and sharing stories about Joey and Lily. Soon enough it would be time to reveal what they had found out.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: We are coming to a close on this episode. I hope you've been enjoying the ride so far but don't worry; there are a few more layers we have to peel before we get to the real 'Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle' as Kate called him. Thanks to those of you who have taken the time to review; while I don't write to get reviews (I write for my enjoyment) they are helpful to make me a better writer. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 6 - Keep your friends close

After dinner, Joey, Tommy, Rick and Kate went into his office. The others sat around the table and chatted. Alexis was looking at Lucy's engagement ring. "That's a beautiful ring."

Lucy giggled as she stuck her hand out and admired her ring. "Tommy has good taste. I noticed Kate's ring as well. It was lovely."

Alexis smiled. "I can't wait for them to get married. Dad has loved Kate for years and I've come to love her too."

Lucy smiled warmly. "It must be hard having your dad be so famous. You never know who likes you for you."

"Is it the same for you? Everyone trying to get close to your brother through you?"

Lucy looked surprised. "You know who my brother is?"

Alexis shrugged. "Dad told us some about their days at school and who they all were. When I was listening to him I was amazed at how he still thinks of them as his school friends, even the mayor. He said that he your brother was a great guy, so we don't care who he is. Kate even relaxed and had fun at dinner."

Martha piped in. "Listen, kiddo. Your brother was a good friend to my son when he had few friends. That's good enough for us."

Jim agreed. "I've only known Rick a few years and I know he is a good man. I trust him with my daughter so I trust him with this."

Lucy smiled. "Joey and Tommy told me to expect this, but I've put up with people thinking badly about me because of my family name for so long that I just expect it, you know? Thanks."

Alexis leaned over and gave Lucy a quick hug. "It's not a problem…I can definitely relate; being Rick Castle's daughter sets certain expectations. I learned when I was little that some people want to try to use you...you just have to be savvy enough to figure out who."

Lucy giggled. "_Savvy_?"

Alexis blushed. "Dad got me using that word when Pirates of the Caribbean came out. He walked around for days after quoting Jack Sparrow."

They all laughed and relaxed, chatting about various things while they waited for the ones in Rick's office to rejoin them.

TCOP2

The four sat down and Rick glanced at Kate. "Joey, you know that Kate is a detective, right?"

Joey smiled. "Yeah, I've heard of Detective Beckett." He looked at Kate. "Will there be a problem?"

Kate shook her head. "I know your reputation. Rick here has given you a glowing recommendation. As far as me, I have no issues as long as I do not witness anything questionable. If you somehow end up on the other side of an interrogation table from me I will pull no punches, though."

Rick chuckled. "She's honest about that. I can vouch for it."

Joey smiled. "Fair enough, Kate."

Tommy leaned forward in his chair. "Derek?"

Rick looked over. "Yeah, Tommy?"

"Here's what we know..."

TCOP2

He thought he heard beeping but he couldn't open his eyes. He went to lift his hand to his face but found he couldn't move. He fought until he could open his eyes but immediately shut them again.

"Well...welcome back Mr. Tyson. You look remarkably well for a dead man."

He squinted but kept his eyes closed. "Tyson? My name's Dave Kolbeck. I don't know who you are talking about."

He heard a snort. "Right. Well, Dave, your DNA is Jerry Tyson's. So we'll call you Jerry for now."

Tyson knew the gig was up but he wasn't going to quit that easily. "Look pal...you have me confused with someone else."

"Sure. Since you're dead you won't have to worry about an alibi. That also means I can't be charged with your death. You will not be leaving this room. I need information, Jerry, and the more information I get from you, the longer you live. Since I'm sure that you understand our jargon this is a black and wet operation."

Tyson knew then that it was over. "How did you find me?"

The other man chuckled. "Sally is a hell of an informant. Now, why were you stalking Kate Beckett?"

"She was not my target. I was after the writer."

"Ah, I see; well, that changes things. You know, maybe we can get this done quickly." Tyson felt excruciating pain in his foot as he heard a snap. "Let's begin, shall we?"

TCOP2

Rick thought back on the weekend. He spent a lot of time explaining to Kate, Alexis and his mother about his time at school. He had never before talked to his mother about that time as she had never seemed interested. He told them stories and answered their questions.

He was proud of Kate letting go the fact that Tommy was the head of a crime family. He knew her instinct was to arrest Joey but the fact that she hadn't done anything for him made him feel all warm inside. Joey had pulled him aside at one point and let him know that if she was uncomfortable with the situation he would just leave.

Kate just smiled and shook her head. "If Rick says you are family then that's it. I do have one question that's been bugging me for years."

Rick cringed and Joey raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"Am I supposed to kiss your ring?"

The tension deflated as they all burst out laughing.

TCOP2

Kate looked over at Rick and realized that she had witnessed another layer of the Castle onion. He never realized the effect that he had on people. She smiled as she recalled how often he 'knew a guy' and realized that he went through life collecting friends without realizing it. For many people, though, Richard Castle was loved through his writing; after all it was how she had first come to know him. But for the few, they were the ones that were lucky; they got to meet Rick Rodgers. She thought back to the first time she had met him.

_She had waited in line with her mom to have a copy of his latest book signed. She had never read one of his books but found it amusing that her forty year old mother giggled like a schoolgirl at the thought of meeting the man. As they neared the front of the line and she got her first glimpse of the man she wondered if he was conceited. She could overhear the fan girls gushing to him and he would smile and nod as he signed their books. When they finally got up to the line he smiled at them. "Sisters?" _

_Her mother chuckled and shook her head. "Mother and daughter."_

_He smiled at her. "Well, you are both beautiful ladies."_

_Kate rolled her eyes but he was looking at her mom. "Who should I make this out to?"_

_"I'm Johanna."_

_Rick smiled and opened the book, grabbing his pen. "Well, beautiful Johanna, It is a pleasure to meet you. Have you read anything else of mine?"_

_Kate snorted. "She has all of them."_

_Rick looked up at Kate with a grin. "Really? Even Hell Hath No Fury?" Kate nodded. He laughed and winked at her. "Well, then...she qualifies as a fan. No one read Hell Hath No Fury!" _

_He laughed._

_He signed his name with a flourish and closed the book. He waved over some woman (that she now knew was Paula) and got another copy of the book. He looked back up at Kate, "And what is your name, daughter of Johanna?"_

_She looked at him. "Oh, no Mr. Castle, I'm just here with my mom."_

_"Rick, please."_

_She nodded. "I'm Kate."_

_He nodded and wrote in the book. He closed that one and handed them both a book. "Thanks for coming today and brightening the dreary life of a writer. Enjoy the book and maybe I will see you next time!"_

_They smiled and thanked him before walking away from the table. Kate glanced back and watched him take a book from the next person in line before looking towards her and smiling. She looked away quickly and blushed. She opened the book to read what he had written._

_Dearest Kate - _

_I hope that in the future you read this and become such a fan that I meet you so often that we become friends. You have a beautiful smile and you really do look like your mother; believe me that's a compliment! This is one of my 'gift' copies and as such is numbered. This really makes you my number one fan._

_Rick Castle_

_Stamped in the upper corner of the inside front cover was '001'._

TCOP2

Jordan Shaw had just sat down at her desk that Monday morning when she received a text. She grabbed her phone and saw it was from Jackson Hunt.

'Shaw, you can close your 3xk cases. Tyson spotted alive and breathing. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. Let Richard know.'

She quickly answered. 'I will need more details later.'

'Understood.'

She sat back and wondered what the fallout would be. Rick was so focused on Bracken but she was sure that he would be relieved. He kept telling everyone that Tyson was still around.

TCOP2

Rick and Kate pulled Rachel into a conference room and handed over the evidence that they had received Friday night. She looked at the documents and they spent the next few hours answering questions. She pinched the bridge of her nose and smiled. "Mastermind, you've outdone yourself. I think we have enough gathered to put him away for many years."

Rick looked over at Kate. "The one I mainly want to get him for is Johanna Beckett's murder. Everything else is a bonus."

Kate smiled at Rick. "Thanks, Rick. If we find anything more we'll forward it to you." He nodded and went back to his desk.

McCord looked at her. "I'll be here until Friday then back to DC. Are you heading back to the NYPD?"

Kate nodded. "Rick and I report next Monday."

"Have you considered a change?"

"A change? What do you mean?"

"The AG's office is always on the lookout for new agents. You would be an asset."

Kate shook her head. "I'm a cop. I will stay with the NYPD. And my future husband is a New Yorker."

McCord nodded. "Understood. If you change your mind let me know, okay?"

"I will, thanks." They all made their way back to their respective desks.

TCOP2

The Deputy AG smiled as he read through the email. He had gotten a call from Rick to tell him that Joey had come through on evidence. Between the bribes, coercion and other crimes he had committed over the years, Bracken would be put away for a long time. With the defections of some of his key subordinates, they had enough proof that Rick's main request (to pin Johanna's murder on him) was going to be fulfilled. He closed his email and prepared his brief for the AG. With all but a handful of people from Bracken's organization rounded up, the Grand Jury would be convened in the next week or so and the trial would be set.

He thought back to his seventeenth birthday when the gang had gotten together a party for him. He had been raised by affluent parents, but they were not a close family. He never felt like he had a family until Ricky Rodgers enrolled at Sedgewyck Academy. When Bobby, Joey, Tommy and Lily joined up with them they felt like siblings. Derek had been like a big brother and Lily the little sister but Ricky was the heart and soul of them. He always had a kind word and a quick smile. He made sure everyone had a party on their birthdays because there was a good reason for ice cream. He smiled when he thought of those days and he once again was reminded how the rogue son of an actress was more powerful than the son of a couple of corporate lawyers in all the ways that count.

TCOP2

Roy Montgomery had just gotten off the phone with the Commissioner. The Federal task force was winding down and Beckett and Castle would soon be returning. He was glad as their conviction rate had been down the past few weeks. He didn't blame Esposito or Ryan; they were doing their jobs. It just seemed that the partnership of the two missing partners was something special.

He looked up at a knock on his door to see Esposito. "Come in, Javier. Where's Ryan?"

Javier came in and took a seat. "He's finishing up a call with the DMV to get the current address for our latest vic's husband. He should be here in a minute."

"Fine. Ah, here he is. Ryan, close the door and take a seat."

Ryan nodded and sat. "What's up, sir?"

Roy grinned. "Our prodigal partners are set to return next week." At their node he grinned. "We are making some small changes this week in preparation for that and I wanted to make sure that the changes are not communicated prematurely."

The two detectives exchanged a glance before Esposito spoke up. "What changes are those, sir?"

"We are adding another desk. If Castle's going to come back to us as an official liaison, he's going to get to help with paperwork." At that they all laughed.

Ryan snorted. "Do you realize what this means? Our stack will change." They had always used the same stack when they went to apprehend a suspect. Esposito would kick open the door and Kate would enter, followed by Esposito and then Ryan. Once Castle had joined them he had become the fourth and brought up the rear. Now, though, he would go before Esposito. While he understood, Javier couldn't help but feel the sting.

Esposito's eyes widened. "All these years he knew what to do and played us, bro."

Roy chuckled. "No...You all assumed and he didn't correct you. But I imagine that he will want to follow Beckett." The boys laughed.

TCOP2

Jackson Hunt had been '_in the game_' for a very long time. He had risen in the ranks of the CIA steadily to his current position. He had spent many years as a field agent and still at times preferred it.

The current situation found him reviewing the confession he had just heard. It never ceased to amaze him that people had it in their minds that he could not get them to talk. The tougher ones were usually referred to him and he excelled at it. The young man he had just met had killed over twenty people and had ruined the lives of countless others. He found joy in going after Richard and Katherine; that in itself made him work extra hard to draw out the details from Jerry Tyson.

He had found that Tyson was not even his real name and it didn't surprise him. Many serial killers created false personae in the pursuit of bettering their self-images. Rene Jones had been born in Provencal, Louisiana in the Natchitoches Parish. It was a small town of around 700. His mother, Mary Jones, was a beautician and his father was non-existent. He had grown up poor and had a moderate education. He quit school at 16 and ran away. He changed his name to Jerry Tyson and got his GED by the time he was 18. His first murder occurred just before his 19th birthday and his third three months later.

He taught himself how to program computers and took a couple years to work as a programmer before the need to kill again overcame him. By his fifth victim he had perfected his MO and through the use of guile and disguises he eventually crossed paths with the NYPD. He took great pride in outwitting Richard Castle and made it his calling to do so multiple times. Finally he crossed paths with Hunt and his trail of victims (both living and dead) came to an abrupt halt.

TCOP2

Over the next couple of days Rick continued to gather information, sift through it and forward it to McCord. Kate and Jordan helped where they could, but they concentrated on paperwork to close down the task force. Garcia headed back to the BAU and the Tech team was sent back to their respective postings. By Wednesday afternoon, the group that had taken up most of a floor in the field office was down to a handful and was relegated to a large conference room.

Rick looked up at the few left. "What do we want for lunch? It's my treat!" After discussion they settled on Chinese and Rick collected their orders and placed a call for delivery. She went down to the lobby to help him wait and to stretch her legs.

They exited the elevator and walked to wait near the guard's desk. They watched out the window as they traffic (both motorized and pedestrian) went by. They chatted about random things, just happy to be almost done and with one another. Kate watched dust motes float in the sunlight and smiled at Rick. Rick smiled back at the contented look in Kate's eyes. They were so lost in the peace of the moment that they almost missed the pinging sound just before the alarms went off and the guard jumped up and yelled.

"_Everybody down!_"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Reviving the little girl

_"Everybody down!"_

Rick pulled Kate down beside him as the window they had been standing on front of shattered. They both rolled away from the window and took refuge behind a column. The lobby descended into silence, broken only by occasional sobs and whimpers. Rick looked around the column towards the window. He called up to Jordan to get folks looking for the shooter and told the guard to activate lockdown procedures. He called around to people in the lobby trying to ascertain injuries but no one was hurt. Kate grabbed him and told the guard to get EMTs enroute as he was bleeding.

"Rick, you're bleeding." She put her fingers against his right temple and pulled them away covered with his blood. "Sit down and rest...please, Love." He nodded and sat down on the floor. He was starting to feel the pain and suspected it was just a graze but he knew head wounds bled a lot. He heard Kate call the precinct on her cell and then come back over to sit beside him.

"It's a good thing that the windows in this building are UL 752 Level 10 or this wouldn't have ended so well."

Kate looked confused. "What does UL 752 Level 10 mean?"

"It's a designate for bulletproof glass. UL 752 Level 10 glass is designed to stop the .50 BMG, which is what I think we had fired against us. We'll have to wait for ballistics but I'm sure that's what we're up against. I must have royally pissed off someone."

"Rick, it could have been me that they were shooting at."

He shook his head. "I got grazed and the bullets came from behind me. I was the target. The guy must have been a hell of a shot, though. He would have to hit the exact same spot several times in order to get it to shatter." He looked over as NYPD uniformed officers approached on foot with the EMT's behind them. "I better give Jordan a heads up."

TCOP2

Jordan got off the phone with Rick and immediately called the local agent in charge of the field office and then the Director. Emergency plans were activated. NYPD came on the scene and Kate ran point.

Jordan finally made it down to the lobby and found Rick sitting with an EMT. "What happened to you?"

Rick looked up at her. "Nothing…It's just a graze. The only injuries to everyone else were minor."

She looked for Kate. "Where's Kate?"

He shrugged. "She's running point for the NYPD since she was already at the scene. She was here a few minutes ago...she keeps checking on me."

"If you weren't hurt I'd smack you. She's worried so you let her hover."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Smartass." She shook her head at his grin and went to find Kate.

TCOP

As soon as he saw the glass shatter he started breaking down his rifle and cleaning up his brass. He knew that they would find his nest but he had to get away. He threw everything into his duffel bag and went down the stairs and out to the street. His job was to scare them and he was sure he'd done that.

He grabbed a taxi and headed for Central Park, figuring he would be followed. He put a Yankees cap on and smiled at the driver as he made small talk about the team. He paid him with a tip and casually got out and made his way into the park. He went to a portion where there were no cameras and flipped his hoodie inside out, changing the color from black to maroon. He hit a button on his shirt and an air bladder filled, making him appear heavier. He pulled some sneakers from his bag and changed shoes. His hat went into the bag and he pulled out a Mets one and put it on. Within three minutes he had mde enough changes to appear that he was not the same person that walked here. He followed a path through some bushes and found a different walking path. Making his way past Strawberry fields, he got to the street and grabbed another cab and headed for Times Square to lose himself in the crowds.

As he walked through Times Square, he stopped at a hot dog vendor and took his lunch to some bleachers that had been set up. As he sat and ate he reflected back upon his life. He grew up in a middle class neighborhood in a small Midwestern town near St. Louis. His mother stayed at home and his father ran the family business. His older brother had joined their father right out of high school, but he had decided that he wanted more. He wanted excitement and his hometown would not provide that, so he enlisted in the Navy. His first appointment had been aboard USS Dallas, a Los Angeles class submarine and lasted for almost five years. He had drawn the attention of one of the Commanders and was sent to learn to be a SEAL. He went through Seal Prep and BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL school), graduating with honors. He went through the rest of his training including Jump school and was sent to a SEAL team, where he made friends with some of the toughest individuals he had ever seen.

After being a SEAL for over ten years he had been sent on a mission into Afghanistan as part of a team to capture one of the warlords. Everything had gone fine until they were forced to kill several civilians to keep them quiet. He had been tried and court-martialed and spent three years in prison. Upon his release he had been hired by a company specializing in mercenaries and that was where he had honed his shooting skills.

He looked around and headed into Macy's to waste some time before he headed back to call in.

TCOP2

Kate woke up Thursday morning to find Rick in the throes of a nightmare. She held him until he calmed down, whispering calming words until he stilled. She watched him slowly shake of his slumber and open his eyes. "Hey."

He smiled sleepily. "Hey. Did I wake you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but it's okay. The alarm will go off in less than ten minutes anyway. Bad dream?"

"Yeah. I thought I was in the hospital and couldn't move."

She leaned down and kissed him gently. "You're here, at home with me."

He nodded and rolled out of bed. "Want to grab a shower with me?" She jumped up and followed him, closing the bathroom door behind her.

TCOP2

Jordan sat at the desk waiting on Rick and Kate to come in. She looked around at the floor they were on and sighed. They were the last three. She had finished her wrap up reports and just had to help Rick integrate them into one document.

She heard the elevator and looked up to see Rick exit the elevator alone. "Where's Kate?"

He smiled. "She went into the precinct to finish the paperwork on yesterday's fun." He looked around. "We need to order sagebrush to complete the effect."

She laughed. "Well, get your report done so we can combine ours."

He raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think mine's not done?"

"I haven't seen you typing it up."

He logged into his PC and opened his email. Clicking on an attachment he opened his and Kate's combined reports. "Where's yours?"

She rolled her eyes and emailed it to him. "In your inbox, sir…"

He shook his head and grinned. He opened her report and copied it into the already open one, taking a minute to match fonts and clean it up.

"I'll print it out so we can both proof it. Want to grab the copies and I will grab us some coffee?"

She nodded. "I want…"

"…a slim decaf one shot caramel one shot chocolate."

"How did you…?"

"Magic, Agent Shaw….magic!" He laughed and walked away while she went to grab their print outs.

TCOP2

Kate walked into the precinct and waved to the desk sergeant. As she rode the elevator up to homicide, she thought back to the past few weeks. Shaking her head at the craziness of it, she got off the elevator to head into the bullpen.

She headed for her desk when she realized that something was off.

Ryan looked up and smiled. "Welcome back, Beckett. Cap's been doing some redecorating while you were gone."

"Why are there four desks? Are we getting someone new?"

Ryan laughed. "No, someone old. The new desk is for Castle."

Her eyes widened. "Really? Now we'll never be rid of him!" They both laughed as Kate sat down and logged into her computer. "I'm not really back. I just want to finish the paperwork from the shooting and I will be back on Monday. Castle is taking me up to the Hamptons for the weekend."

Ryan grinned. "I'm glad things are going so well for you. Jenny was asking after you guys when she heard about the shooting. It's cool that she comes tomorrow night, right?"

Kate nodded. "Of course! Lanie is coming too." Ryan smiled as they both went back to their paperwork.

TCOP2

Joey and Tommy looked down at the table. They had read the newspaper articles about the shooting and Rick had let them know he was okay. They had put the word out that there was a bounty for the shooter; no one took shots at the family!

Lucy walked in and hugged her brother. "Everything okay?"

Tommy smiled and pulled her close. "We're okay. Derek had someone take some shots at him, but we're handling it."

She nodded. "I heard about it. He okay?"

Joey grinned. "Derek is a hard man to put down. I almost feel sorry for the schmuck that took the shot, though. Between us, the FBI and the NYPD he isn't gonna be able to rest. Best part is all three of us are sharing info. So far we've tracked him to Macy's after the shooting…if we get to him first he won't get away."

TCOP2

By noon Rick was shutting down his PC and waiting on the facilities team to finish shutting down the office. Jordan was stopping by the loft for dinner before catching a late flight back to DC. She would miss the following night's party but she missed her daughter and Rick could definitely understand that. He had already sent her off to finish packing and return her rental car. He was having his car service pick her up and bring her for dinner and Kate said she would driver her to the airport.

He heard the elevator and Kate walked off. She caught his eye and smiled. "Well, we've done all we can until we get some leads on the shooter. What's left here?"

"Just waiting on the guys to come and pick up the equipment and ship it back to DC. Jordan will unpack it and wipe it on Monday."

"Did she head to her hotel?"

He nodded. "I sent her on…we finished the final report and there was no point in her waiting here with me."

"That makes sense. So are we ready for tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, I've closed down the bar for a private party and ordered food. We should have about thirty people total and I've stocked appropriately." He looked up as the elevator door opened and the facilities team stepped off. They did a quick inventory and identified the items going back to DC. Once Rick reviewed it he signed the release and left them to their work.

He looked at Kate. "Ready?"

She smiled. "Let's go." They walked to the elevator and took it to the parking garage, ending their adventure.

TCOP2

Jordan was amazed at how good of a cook Rick was. She was a meat and potatoes kind of girl but after his dinner of several dishes of French cuisine she could learn to appreciate other things. It was nice to be able to sit and chat with the two of them without having to talk about the cases.

But it was also a little uncomfortable to be honest. She watched Rick and Kate and it was evident the depth of their feelings for each other. The crush that she had carried for Rick since she met him withered on the vine as she watched them interact. She was lost in thought when Kate nudged her. "Huh?"

Kate laughed softly. "Where were you, Jordan?"

"Wool gathering. What did you say?"

"I asked if you were looking forward to going home."

"Definitely. I miss my daughter." There was no mistaking the way that her eyes shone.

Kate smiled. "Well we'll miss you. Will you keep in touch?"

Jordan shifted her eyes to Rick briefly and then turned towards Kate. "I'll try, but I don't know how often. We get called out a lot and sometimes for weeks at a time." Kate hadn't missed the glance but didn't comment on it; the rest of the evening before Jordan left she watched and understood that this was the Agent saying goodbye to them. She watched as Jordan briefly hugged the both of them as she got ready to head to the airport and felt a little bad for her.

Rick was not ignorant of the elephant in the room. After she left he came over to Kate and held her close. "Well, it was nice to be able to chat with her before she left."

"Yeah."

He kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad we got a chance to say goodbye. I have a feeling we won't hear from her very often." He felt Kate nod against his chest. "I mean, I hope she finds what it is she's looking for."

Kate looked up at him and he smiled at her. "Come on, Detective. Let's get to bed; tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

TCOP2

The following night, the party was in full swing when the contingent from the 12th precinct arrived. Kate greeted them and pointed them towards the food and the bar. Lanie hugged her and gushed over her engagement ring. Jenny congratulated her and went to find Rick. The mayor hugged her and thanked her for all that she had done.

She felt a little overwhelmed until she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind. She leaned back into him and smiled. He kissed the top of her head. "Okay, Katie love?"

"I'm great, Alex. Did you see the mayor?"

"Yeah, Bobby and I got a chance to chat for a few minutes. I'm glad that it's finally over."

She snuggled back into him some more. "So am I. When are we leaving?"

He turned her around and kissed her gently. "In about thirty minutes."

"Rick! We'll be driving pretty late."

"Don't worry. I know a guy."

She rolled her eyes. _Of course he knew a guy._ "Let's mingle for a bit then."

"Sounds good." He took her hand and headed off to talk to people.

TCOP2

He had called in and they instructed him to follow Rick and Kate to the Hamptons. He packed his bags for a few days and headed to a local diner to grab a bite before he went to the bar to wait.

The bell rang as he entered and he took a seat at the counter. The waitress took his order and dropped off his drink. He looked around and saw a teenager heading for what had to be the last payphone in the city. He sipped his drink and smiled as the waitress put his plate in front of him.

He ate slowly and enjoyed his burger. He finished up and went to pay the check at the cash register, The old man took his money and made change, then headed back to talk to the cook. He put his change in his pocket and turned around into the barrel of a pistol.

The heavyset man on the other end smiled. "My boss would like to have a chat with you."

He looked over and saw the other two guns pointed at him. He didn't have time to react as he saw the pistol swung at him and everything went black.

The heavyset man looked over at the teen. "Here, kid. The boss sent you a gift." He handed the kid an envelope and nodded to his associates to pick up the unconscious man. He grabbed the guy's bag and laid a hundred dollar bill on the counter. He smiled at the old man that owned the diner. 'Joey wanted to give you a little something for your trouble. Have a good night." The three men carried the man to their car and drove off with him.

TCOP2

Kate rolled her eyes as the left the Old Haunt. Rick grinned and helped her into the town car.

"Don't you think it's a bit much?"

Rick smirked. "Let me spoil you a bit." She nodded and gave him a quick kiss before he nodded to the driver. She snuggled into him expecting a nice long road trip. She was pulled from her reverie twenty minutes later as Rick opened the door. "Coming Kate?"

She looked at him confused and started to get out of the car. She heard a whirring sound and jumped out to look. Sitting on a concrete pad about twenty yards away was a helicopter. Rick was grinning like a fool and the driver was headed towards it with their bags.

She sighed. She had known she was marrying a child in a grown man's body. After a minute, she grinned. Maybe there was still a little girl inside her because the more she thought about it, riding on a helicopter to go for a weekend to the Hamptons with her fiance actually sounded kind of cool. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards their ride to see what the weekend would bring.

**The end…****_for now_****.**

**AN: Well, there you have it. As requested, the Takedown. I have rough ideas for a couple more in the series, but have some others stories underway to finish and post first. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review; your feedback is most appreciated. Once again, I own none of the characters you recognized. And some may be OOC as it is an AU fic after all!**

**See you next time. **

**C.**


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